Stethoscope cover

ABSTRACT

The invention is an ornamental cover for the head of a stethoscope. The cover includes a mouth through which the head of the stethoscope is passed. The cover may include an elastic portion that will cause the mouth of the cover to assume a diameter that is smaller than the head of the stethoscope. In the preferred embodiment, the cover is knitted or woven material that may be washed and reused. In another embodiment, the cover is in the shape of an animal or animal head.

[0001] There are no related applications.

[0002] This invention was not federally funded.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates to a cover for the head of a stethoscope. More particularly, the present invention relates to ornamental stethoscope covers for a stethoscope head. The stethoscope cover serves to alleviate a child's fear of medical personnel. It can be laundered and reused. The cover also maintains the temperature of the stethoscope head at a comfortable range.

[0004] The stethoscope is a medical diagnostic instrument for listening to body functions of an individual being examined by medical personnel. Uses for a stethoscope include listening to respiratory, cardiac and fetal sounds. The stethoscope is used frequently in hospitals, doctor's offices and emergency rooms.

[0005] Hospital visits can be scary for pediatric patients. Children needing medical attention may experience fear and anxiety when visiting medical facilities. Unfamiliar surroundings, faces and devices can stimulate sympathetic nervous responses that may include increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, sweating and emotional outbursts. These sympathetic nervous responses may lead to problems such as misdiagnosing illnesses.

[0006] To help rectify the problems mentioned above, health care professionals find it advantageous to relieve a child's fear and anxiety before and throughout a physical examination or procedure. Doing so allows the child to feel at ease and in turn yields more accurate information about the child's health. The present invention may be used to relieve a child's fears by causing the child to focus his attention on something other than the setting of the examination or procedure. The cover may include an ornament shaped as a familiar object or cartoon character. Alternatively, the cover may be formed in the shape of a familiar object or cartoon character.

[0007] Many patients experience physical discomfort when a physician places a relatively cold face of a stethoscope head against the patient's body during examination procedures. The present invention helps to alleviate this discomfort by maintaining the temperature of the stethoscope head at a temperature level that is higher than other stethoscope heads without the cover.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention is an ornamental cover for a head of a stethoscope. The cover may include an attached ornament that may attract a child's attention during a medical exam. The ornament may be affixed to the cover in any manner such as sewing, embedding, embroidering, or otherwise attaching it with an adhesive.

[0009] In the preferred embodiment, the cover comprises a series of interlocking woven loops that form a parabola or bowl shape. The cover is large enough to accommodate the head of a stethoscope. The cover typically includes an outwardly bulging portion located approximately halfway between the portion of the cover to which the ornament is attached and the mouth of the cover.

[0010] It is an object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for preventing thermal discomfort to a patient being examined with a stethoscope.

[0011] It is another object of the invention to provide an inexpensive and easy to use article of manufacture that thermally insulates a stethoscope head while it is not in use.

[0012] It is a further object of the invention to provide a durable rugged reusable stethoscope cover that is washable for decontamination purposes.

[0013] It is another object of the invention to provide a stethoscope cover that alleviates children's fears of medical devices and personnel.

[0014] Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the included claims when taken in connection with the previous discussion and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015]FIG. 1 is a prior art stethoscope.

[0016]FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of first embodiment of the present invention.

[0017]FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0018]FIG. 4 is a back elevation view the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0019]FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the grid work.

[0020]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention.

[0021]FIG. 7 is a back view of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] In the preferred embodiment, the stethoscope cover comprises a series of knitted loops or knots that form grid work. The cover has a closed end to which an ornament may be attached. An opposite end of the cover includes a mouth or opening for receiving the head of the stethoscope. The mouth comprises a lip that may include an elastic portion for helping to bias the mouth towards a closed position and thereby fix the cover to the stethoscope head. The elastic portion may be rubberized elastic, elasticized yarn, or the like.

[0023] One or more pieces of yarn may be used to manufacture the invention. A piece of yarn is knitted together to form parabolic-shaped grid work that comprises the cover. To achieve this, a piece of yarn is knitted into a chain by overlapping the piece of yarn on itself. After a chain of sufficient length, it is woven into several other chains to create the grid work. The grids that comprise the cover differ in size. In the preferred embodiment, the end of the cover to which an ornament is attached comprises grids that are smaller and closer together than other parts of the cover except the lip. Typically, these grids are substantially the same size as those grids that comprise the lip. The grids of the mouth are larger than those of either the lip or the end of the cover to which the ornament is attached. However, the grids of the mouth are smaller than those in a region of the cover between the mouth and the end of the cover to which the ornament is attached. Thus, the circumference in a region of the cover between the mouth and the end having the ornament attached thereto is larger than either that of the mouth or end to which the ornament is attached.

[0024] In another embodiment, the cover may comprise a fabric or other suitable material having an ornamental design or appearance such as popular cartoon characters. A design may be embroidered on the fabric or an ornament may be affixed to the fabric.

[0025] In an additional embodiment, the cover is shaped like the head of an animal or cartoon character. The head includes a recessed portion for receiving the head of the stethoscope and a mouth through which the stethoscope head passes. Thus, the head of the stethoscope is inserted into the cover in a manner similar to the technique mentioned above with respect to the first embodiment. The base of the animal head may include an elastic portion for holding the cover onto the stethoscope. The animal head cover may also include a tether for ensuring that the cover will not be lost if it is not secured to the stethoscope properly.

[0026]FIG. 1 is a drawing of a stethoscope 11. The stethoscope 11 includes earpieces 17 for transferring sound from the stethoscope 11 to a user's ears. A pair of ear tubes 15 connect between the earpieces 17 and an undivided tube extend 19. The undivided tube extend 19 is attached to head 13 at an end opposite ear tubes 15. The head 13 typically includes a diaphragm and/or a bell portion.

[0027]FIG. 2 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the stethoscope cover 1. The stethoscope cover 1 includes an ornament 21. In this drawing the ornament 21 is in the shape of a ruler. However, ornament 21 may be any shape and is typically attached to the stethoscope cover 1 by sewing it to the cover 1 or passing a part of cover 1 through a hole (not shown) provided in ornament 21.

[0028]FIG. 3 is a side view of the first embodiment of the present invention. As mentioned above, cover 1 comprises grids 9. The grids 9 located near the closed end 5 of cover 1 are very small and close together. The grids 9 located on side 25 between closed end 5 and mouth 3 are the largest ones that comprise cover 1. The grids 9 that comprise mouth 3 and lip 23 have a smaller opening than those comprising side 25. Lip 23 defines mouth 3.

[0029]FIG. 4 is a back view of stethoscope cover 1 taken along plane Z-Z of FIG. 3. A mouth 3 is provided in the cover 1 for allowing the head 13 to pass there through. The mouth 3 includes a lip 23 that helps the mouth 3 to retain its shape. As previously mentioned, the lip 23 may include an elasticized portion.

[0030]FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of grid 9. The grid 9 is defined by sides A, B, C and D. Sides A and D are woven through sides B and C or visa versa. By weaving shorter sides, the area of the grid is reduced in size. Likewise, by weaving longer sides, the area of the grid may be increased in size.

[0031]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention. The cover 41 of the second embodiment is shaped like the head of an animal. In FIG. 6, the animal head is that of an elephant.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 7, the cover 41 includes an elasticized mouth 45 for accepting the head of the stethoscope and securing the cover to the stethoscope 11. The cover 41 includes a recess 43 for accommodating the head of the stethoscope. A tether 31 may also be provided for securing the cover 41 to the stethoscope 11 when the cover is not on the head of the stethoscope. The tether 31 is equipped with complementary hook-and-latch strips 39 for securing the tether to the stethoscope 11. The free end of the tether is wrapped about the stethoscope such that the complementary hook-and-latch strips 39 overlap one another.

[0033] In the preferred embodiment, the cover is knitted by looping several knots together tightly to form the portion of the cover to which the ornament is attached. Knitting is continued in a circular fashion until a series of loops are tightly wound together to produce a surface area large enough to support an ornament. The size of the loops is increased to produce intersecting chains that create grids having large openings. A series of large grids produce an area having a large diameter for accommodating the head of the stethoscope. The size of the grids is then decreased to form a mouth through which the head of the stethoscope passes. A lip is produced that comprises grids having substantially the same size as those of the portion of the cover to which the ornament is affixed.

[0034] It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact construction illustrated and described above, but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. For example, the woven material comprising the cover mentioned above in the preferred embodiment may be substituted for a cloth or other type of material that may be suitable for practicing the invention. 

I claim:
 1. A knitted cover for a stethoscope comprising: a mouth for receiving a head of the stethoscope; an end opposite said mouth for attaching an ornament thereto; a side connecting said mouth with said end opposite the mouth.
 2. The knitted cover of claim 1 further comprising a lip attached to said mouth for helping the mouth to retain a shape.
 3. The knitted cover of claim 2 wherein said lip further comprises an elastic portion for biasing the mouth towards a closed position.
 4. The knitted cover of claim 1 wherein said cover comprises grids of various sizes such that grids comprising the end opposite said mouth are small in size and tightly woven together.
 5. The knitted cover of claim 1 wherein grids comprising the side connecting said mouth with said end opposite the mouth are large in size and loosely woven together.
 6. The knitted cover of claim 1 wherein said ornament is affixed to the cover by stitches.
 7. The knitted cover of claim 1 wherein said ornament is embroidered.
 8. The knitted cover of claim 1 wherein said ornament is affixed to said cover by an adhesive.
 9. A reusable cover for a stethoscope comprising: a parabolic-shaped piece of cloth having an open end and a closed end; and an elasticized portion affixed to said open end.
 10. The cover of claim 9 wherein said piece of cloth comprises at least an ornamental design.
 11. The cover of claim 9 wherein said piece of cloth comprises an embroidered design.
 12. The cover of claim 9 further comprising an ornament affixed to said piece of cloth.
 13. A cover produced by knitting several knots together tightly to form a portion to which an ornament is attached.
 14. The cover of claim 13 further comprising a series of grids having large openings.
 15. The cover of claim 13 further comprising a series of elongated grids that produce a side having a large enough diameter to receive the head of the stethoscope.
 16. The cover of claim 13 further comprising grids that form a mouth through which the head of the stethoscope may pass.
 17. An ornamental cover for a stethoscope comprising: a closed end formed in the shape of an animal; an open end for receiving a head of a stethoscope and opening into a back of the closed end; and an elasticized mouth for securing said cover to the head of the stethoscope and attached to said open end.
 18. The ornamental cover of claim 17 wherein said closed end is formed in the shape of a cartoon character.
 19. The ornamental cover of claim 17 further comprising: a tether for securing said cover to the stethoscope when the elasticized mouth is not securing the cover to the head of the stethoscope.
 20. The ornamental cover of claim 19 further comprising complementary hook-and-latch materials. 